This Christmas I plan to help Droonda the Shaman Orc Princess reach level 60. Top of the list. We have most of the quests in the Eastern Plaguelands to do yet, so 60 should be just around the corner.

Show Droonda more of the world. We’ve seen Scholomance. We’ve mastered the Darkmaster. She needs to see the Reaver now and get her epic helm quest done. We’ve seen a lot of Black Rock Depths, but not the Emperor. We’ve seen a lot of Lower Black Rock Spire, got the pets, but not Wyrmthalek. We’ve not been to Upper Black Rock Spire. We’ve not been to Stratholme. ZG and AQ20 will follow. We’ve got a lot left to see together. (Blackhoof, on the other hand, being a raider in a previous life has seen it all, through half of BWL.)

Get Arcarius, Night Elf Hunter, to 60. Two levels to go. My first character and he’s not even 60. I respecced to Marksmanship yesterday, to test out a high-damage build. Returned to the Steppes and after two Dragonkin decided “Meh.” Not what I need: Aggro. Flew back to Stormwind City and spent half my gold on a respec back to Beast Mastery. I have Intimidation and Bestial Wrath back, and Spirit Bond, but did not take the 41 point talent. I put 5 points in Critical Hits in Marksmanship, and 3 points in Hawkeye (+6 yards range) in Survival. I put the last 5 points in Improved Concussive Shot for BG goodness. Since I’m soloing PvE, or doing BG’s, I didn’t get much use out of a high-damage build. That must be for raiding Hunters where the pet is secondary at best.

Get Greenclaw, Night Elf Druid, to 40. Two levels to go. (Because at level 68 he gets Flight Form. And Druids are the new Warriors, haven’t you heard.)

Get Honorus, Human Paladin, to 40. Eight levels to go. Hmmm. That’ll be tough. (And Pally’s are the new Warriors, haven’t you heard.) But tough because where’s the time?

Since I also have one last goal and that’s gearing up Msaker.

Now I’ve gotten the full Rare PvP armor set. I’ve got The Unstoppable Force and The Immoveable Object. And the Horde’s Champion’s Plate looks goood on an Orc. (Alliance Warrior looks like Alliance Pally in the their Champion’s Gear. I can never tell them apart. Just when the Seal’s start flowing.)

But is that enough for the Outlands? I can BG some more. I’ve got 47 AV Marks and 20 AB Marks now. And 2k Honor now.

Do I get the HWL 1-Handed Axe? (I have Polearm/Axe specialization, and I’m an Orc, and I have weapon specialization, so 309 Axe Skill and +5% crit when using them.) 22,500 Honor and 20 AB Marks.

And combine that with the HWL Shield Wall? (Is the HWL shield, with 500 more armor and more stamina, that much better than The Immovable Object? Is it worth the 22,500 Honor and 20 AB Marks I’ll spend on it to get?

Or do I get the HWL Polearm, for the coolness factor, or the HWL 2-handed Axe, since I’m Orc I get +5 with it. Same stats, the Axe I’ll have +5 skill with. Are they that much better than the TUF that it’s worth 45,000 Honor and 40 AV Marks to get?

Now I’ve suffered through a lot of Alliance pre-made victories in AB lately. I’m doing so to accumulate the 40 AB Marks I need for the HWL Shield and 1-hand Axe. I’m doing this so I can absorb damage. Handy in the BG and invaluable in PvE. Or take the 20 AB marks I have and spend it on one of them. The Axe? The Shield?

But if the first 2 items I can get in the Outlands are a green shield and a green axe that surpass both HWL items, it’s obviously not worth it.

Now I’m thinking along a different tack. Maybe I should upgrade my Champion’s armor to the Warlord’s? I.e. my Blue set for a Purple Set? The Warlord’s stuff is supposed to be BWL-like. That’s going to take an awful lot of Honor and more Marks out of each BG still. That would get me 774 more armor, 28 more Strength, 49 more Stamina, 33 more Agility, and +3 to hit, and +5 to crit.

Or is all this, all of it, soon to be quickly rendered out-of-date by my first incursions into the Outlands?

Any Beta Testers, Warriors or anyone with an idea, out there want to give this Orc a clue about this?

4 Responses to

Id probably wait till you get to outlands. but..im a noob so i wouldnt know how well your set fairs you in pvp lol..Ive been reading and it seems to me a lot of greens found in the outlands will def. be better then alot of blue-gear 60’s are wearing. Id just wait and get your “princess”up to 60 =D but dunno..im not 60, havent really spent much time in worrying about pvp set..

Although, I did buy this nice crusader set because “im going to” start pvp a lot more hopefully. Do you know anything about the crusader set? Dunno if i just blew my money or not =D

IMO, based on what I’ve found out from reading/hearing beta tester reports, don’t bother with level-60 gear.

Why?— I’ve read that level-60 blues will be about as good as Outland 62 greens— I’ve read that Tier 2 will be about as good as Outland 65 greens— I’m not seeing anyone disputing those assertions— Beta testers are saying that Outland is quest-heavy, and one will benefit from quest reward gear— Beta testers are also saying that level-60 blues-and-greens should be more than sufficient to start off in Outland, so you’re already over-geared!— In your case, two 60’s can run together = faster and easier progression in Outland

So, to sum up, (1) You don’t need gear for Outland.(2) I’m told that touring “old” content will be relatively easy for a level-70 (I heard that two 70’s can clear Scholo, for instance), so whatever I miss now I can go back and see later.

My pre-BC plan is…— Level alts; my wife started WoW with a hunter and we’re working up together— With my 60, as time allows, quest for gold for epic riding training (one of the few things that will be of lasting value, IMO, in Outland)

There is also Jewelcrafting right around the corner, which just begs for a high-level (preferably a level-60) to quickly run up a lot of skill in that new profession.